Lock had already tested his chakra attributes with chakra paper when he first awakened his chakra. His affinity was Water and Earth. Not bad, but not on the level of a born prodigy.
Still, Lock didn't mind. Ninjutsu was only one path—he relied more on his own skills and careful planning than on flashy techniques.
His late father, once a Chūnin, had left behind some notes and a few Earth-style jutsu. Nothing amazing, but enough to give Lock a foothold. In Konoha, knowledge of ninjutsu was usually restricted, and only shinobi with merits or clan backing had the right to keep scrolls. His father's notes remained only because they were low-level and granted as a small concession for service.
After defeating Kakashi, Lock suddenly found himself the center of attention. Aside from the clan heirs who still looked at him with wary eyes, most of the class greeted him warmly, eager to befriend the boy who had managed to topple Hatake Kakashi.
When the sparring session ended, Yagyū-sensei dismissed the class and left in high spirits, clearly intending to report this surprising development. The Hokage's policy had always been to encourage civilian-born shinobi. If Lock's potential was recognized, the village would surely invest in him.
The other children scattered into noisy groups, laughing and playing as usual. But Lock sat quietly, his mind elsewhere—because something strange had happened.
He had gained something from the fight.
Not just victory. Not just recognition. But an actual increase in strength—a sense of growth, as if the battle itself had granted him progress.
Five points of "experience." Three "coins."
He froze. For weeks, he had tried everything—training, hunting small animals, even sparring with Obito—but nothing moved the needle. Until now. Beating Kakashi had triggered it.
"…So that's it."
His thoughts spun quickly. Why Kakashi and not Obito? The answer was obvious. Strength. Obito was still weak, far from a proper shinobi. Kakashi, however, already fought at the level of a true ninja. Defeating him had rewarded Lock in a way nothing else had.
"Does that mean… only by defeating shinobi-level opponents can I grow stronger?"
The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. If so, then his path forward was clear.
But excitement soon cooled into caution. This was still Konoha, and he was just a boy with no clan backing. If he drew too much attention too quickly, it could be dangerous. For now, he would keep this secret and bide his time.
He glanced at Kakashi, still recovering from the duel. For the first time, Lock felt a strange warmth toward him—not just as a rival, but as the key to testing his theory. Still, a rematch now would only raise suspicion. He'd have to wait.
"Patience," Lock reminded himself.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. During class, he distracted himself by reviewing his father's notes and his own abilities, comparing them with what he knew from experience. Chakra wasn't like numbers on a screen. Life, stamina, and agility—all of it felt more real, more subtle. Progress here came at the cost of sweat and pain, not just numbers ticking upward.
"School's out!" Obito cheered loudly when the bell rang, bouncing back to life as if nothing had happened earlier.
The academy had four classes each day, with a long midday break. Some students stayed, others returned home for meals.
Obito immediately hooked an arm around Lock. "Let's go to your place! I miss Aunt Yuzu's cooking!"
Lock rolled his eyes. "Just say you want free food." Still, he didn't refuse. He knew Obito's circumstances well enough—an Uchiha by name, but an orphan in truth, scraping by with little more than the clan's token support.
"Come on," Lock called, turning to the others. "Kurenai, Kakashi, Rin, Guy, Genma—you guys should come too. My mom just tried out some new recipes."
The group perked up, and soon enough, they were all chattering as they left the academy together, the sun setting over Konoha.
For Lock, though, the true dawn had just begun.